Stay up to date:Get a free personalized pregnancy and baby newsletter from What to Expect.com

Get your free personalized pregnancy and baby newsletter

or

I'm trying to conceive

I don’t live in the U.S.

First Time Mom

By clicking "SIGN UP," you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We will use your information to send you our newsletters, coupons and special offers, and we share your information with our partners

Trending With Moms

Breathe in, breathe out. It seems so simple when you do it, doesn’t it? And so...quiet? Well, your little one doesn’t have it quite so easy: Remember that his tiny lungs and nose were just introduced to the concept of inhaling air mere weeks ago. And since you’re perched in the front row (or listening to it piped-in on your baby monitor!), you can hear every whine, whistle, or wheeze his wind section makes as it’s tuning up.

Overhearing a shifting repertoire of baby sneezes, squeaks, and snorts is par for the course when it comes to a newborn baby — and not an indication of anything to be concerned about. Your baby’s symphonic breathing is perfectly fine. So try taking a deep “om” inhalation yourself, and learn the lowdown when it comes to baby breathing:

Variability. If you pay close attention, you’ll probably notice that your baby’s breathing is as variable as your own — slower when he’s relaxed, faster when he’s excited.

Speed. When a baby’s awake, he can take over 60 breaths a minute — especially if he’s coming off a crying jag. That’s a lot faster than grown-ups — and it’s perfectly normal.

Pauses. If you watch your babe’s chest go up and down while he’s sleeping (of course, you know there’s no need to do that), you may notice that his breathing stops altogether for a few seconds. Not to worry. A sleeping newborn often holds his breath for five to ten seconds, and then starts right up again (without a care in the world — unaware that, panic-stricken, you’ve been holding your breath).

Noises. All those snorts and grunts happen because babies are nose-breathers. That’s a good thing since it makes it possible for them to breathe and nurse at the same time (“Look Ma, no hands!”). But nose-breathing can be problematic when something is blocking the sole air route. It doesn’t occur to the typical newborn baby to open his mouth as an alternate route for oxygen. And it goes without saying that he’s not coordinated enough to try to blow his nose (nor does he have the verbal chops to request a tissue!). That means that if any bit of dried milk or mucus is hanging out in his nostrils, that’s exactly where it will stay (until it dislodges or disintegrates), producing a whistle, a sniffle, or even a snort. (You could try relieve his stuffy nose by suctioning his nostrils if it’s bothering you or him.)

When to worry: If your baby’s breathing becomes labored — if you clock him at more than 60 breaths per minute (and it doesn’t slow down when he’s calm), if you hear persistent grunting at the end of his inhalations, if he’s flaring his nostrils, or if he’s breathing so hard that his chest is pulling in with each inhalation — you should take him to the doctor. And if your baby’s breathing stops for longer than ten seconds at a time, or if he turns blue, call your doctor immediately (or call 911).

Download our AppPregnancy & Baby

More

The material on this website is provided for educational purposes only and is not to be used for medical advise, diagnosis or treatment, or in a place of therapy or medical care. User of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy.

This Site and third parties who place advertisements on this Site may collect and use information about your
visits to this Site and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.
If you would like to obtain more information about these advertising practices and to make choices about online behavioral advertising, please click here